Bartell Drugs introduces PharmaSmart kiosks

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs has introduced PharmaSmart blood-pressure testing kiosks at all 58 of its stores, the regional retail pharmacy chain said Monday.

Bartell said it was the first drug store chain in the Pacific Northwest to provide the new kiosks, made by Rochester, N.Y.-based PharmaSmart International.

"In this era of personalized medicine, the role of the pharmacist continues to expand as a healthcare provider," Bartell pharmacy professional services manager Billy Chow said. "The PharmaSmart kiosk technology is a valuable new frontline tool for blood-pressure prevention and management."

According to PharmaSmart, the company's connectivity network has collected and stored more than 16 million patient readings to date in its Blood Pressure Tracker repository. The software allows pharmacists at Bartells to conduct timely reviews with patients who may have hypertension or be at risk of it.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hypertension was listed as a primary or contributing cause of death for about 348,000 Americans in 2008, and an estimated 1-in-3 American adults have the condition. Meanwhile, of the 68 million Americans with hypertension, 1-in-5 don't know they have it, and 36 million don't have their blood pressure under control.